As many diehard fans await the start of NBA free agency, the Philadelphia 76ers will have another star to keep an eye on this summer in Jonah Bolden.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot on their agenda for this summer, but they will be keeping a close eye on 2017 second round NBA Draft pick Jonah Bolden throughout the month of July.
Current Sixers forwards Dario Saric and Robert Covington, who measure to the height of the Sixers’ incoming asset, are likely to be included in trade talks with the San Antonio Spurs in an attempt to acquire Kawhi Leonard.
Bolden, 22, has played for the Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel since being drafted by the Sixers, averaging 6.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Although the numbers do not speak very highly of Bolden, he has proved his worth to the front office. Barring a trade for Leonard, Bolden has the offensive and defensive length that can fit tremendously into the team’s system.
At 6’10”, he has the ability to rebound and defend, playing either the small forward or power forward position. He led his Israeli team in steals and finished with the third-most blocks.
Bolden is essentially the player that the Sixers have next in line at power forward. He embodies a modern-day big man in various ways and can fill any hole in a team’s frontcourt. His long range shooting being one of his many hidden weapons. He was able to shoot 48 percent from the field in Israel this past season.
The Sixers also have dealt with health concerns of some of their taller players, most notably Joel Embiid. Unlike Embiid, Bolden can remain very light on his feet.
The 24-year-old Australian native shows that his shot could be a force to be reckoned with when he joins the Sixers next season.
Not sure how much Jonah Bolden will contribute right away, if at all, but a THIRD 6-10 young guy who can do everything is a really good thing for the #sixers pic.twitter.com/5W7yuJMjUB
— Andrew Porter (@And_Porter) June 28, 2018
Philadelphia will mainly be focusing on free agency for the moment, but it also has to observe its current players in 2018 NBA Summer League.
Point guard Markelle Fultz will not participate in NBA Summer League, per PhillyVoice’s Kyle Neubeck. He will continue to work on improving his shot this summer, instead of joining the summer Sixers in July.
Bolden will be one of the first players in that the front office critiques. For a player who could potentially become an intrinsic piece of the Sixers’ future, he is going to have to prove something that stands out immensely to them in free agency, that they don’t already know about him.
Recent draft picks Zhaire Smith, Landry Shamet and Shake Milton will also have the chance to enlighten the front office as to why they were selected in this year’s draft.
As Sixers fans prepare for this summer’s slate of games, they must carefully evaluate Bolden’s performance. Last summer, he gave a sneak preview of what he can bring to the team.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
The Philadelphia 76ers’ front office will certainly have their work cut out for them as they enter the free agency period Sunday night.